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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25516063">betty</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorotheaivy/pseuds/dorotheaivy'>dorotheaivy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>hand under my sweatshirt // the folklore-booksmart songfics [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Booksmart (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Gay, High School, Homophobia, LGBT, Lesbian, Party, Smoking, Taylor Swift - Freeform, wlw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:26:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25516063</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorotheaivy/pseuds/dorotheaivy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>hope just wants to make it right.</p><p>based off the song “betty” by taylor swift.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amy/Hope (Booksmart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>hand under my sweatshirt // the folklore-booksmart songfics [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023849</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>betty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>taylor swift’s new album “folklore” is SO good, so, here’s a story inspired by the lyrics from it. betty is obviously a hope &amp; amy song. period.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“betty, i wont make assumptions about why you switched your homeroom, but i think it’s ‘cause of me”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">amy used to walk into the classroom with her head held high. her and molly were unstoppable, even if nobody else liked them. even if they were teased by the popular kids during class. even if nobody else wanted to learn but them.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she held her head high, because nobody could bring her down. she was sensitive and impressionable, yet she had a hard, protective layer on the outside of her. hope had put that to the test.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">just a stupid girl with confused intentions, she was the one who made everyone find out about amy’s sexuality. she’d basically forced the girl into coming out after starting a small, yet affective rumor during sophomore year. amy reclaimed her power by making the decision herself to just come out and set the record straight.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">it made hope mad as ever. but when amy found out in junior year that hope was the origin of the rumor, she’d switched her classes for that year to stay away from hope - she didn’t want to be involved with any of that.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">if hope would’ve known she was the reason amy stopped showing up to ap geometry after the first week, she’d feel real bad.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“betty, one time i was riding on my skateboard when i passed your house, it was like i couldn’t breathe”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">when senior year started, they’d have some classes together. amy had apparently let the subject go, because she never ended up switching her classes like she had before. hope sat behind her in each of the three classes, tall enough to see over her head and look at her papers over her shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she had to deal with molly’s annoying attitude, her annoying outbursts of the answer during a lecture, and her scolding hope for texting in class or whatever other reason. she strongly disliked molly. but she never felt that way toward amy, who everyone just assumed was a clone of molly but never knew who she really was.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">amy’s name would be brought up in a negative manner amongst the popular kids sometimes, who hope only had connections with from sitting near them in class. the fact that the gay related insults were still being thrown around her back every now and then, even 2 years later, really made hope feel like a piece of shit.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">whenever hope passed amy’s house, walked by her in the halls, even exchanged a quick and meaningless glance with her in class, she’d feel that guilt strike within her. immeasurable feelings she couldn’t explain, but desperately wished she could pin something of it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“you heard the rumors from inez, you can’t believe a word she says, most times, but this time it was true”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">in the second half of senior year, their grade had slowly become more and more friendly with each other. it was this euphoric feeling of, “fuck it, we’re never gonna see each other again soon so might as well make the most of it”. hope could occasionally say something to amy and molly, or hell, even anyone else in the class she barely knew, and the reaction wouldn’t be as strange. everyone felt mutually known, at minimum. some new friends had been made, like hope’s odd connection with annabelle, and the sudden formation of ryan and her skater gang.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">hope and amy didn’t really talk. molly would just push her away, anyway.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she felt like she knew amy so well from watching her over the years, if that was possible to be so.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">until everything changed when a rumor started again - about hope this time. amy wouldn’t do that, would she?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">hope would’ve deserved it, anyway.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">annabelle had asked her one day if she was gay, and she didn’t know what to say. her answer was a no, but her mind was conflicted. she’d never really thought her identity was important. but now, it was.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">amy approached hope at her locker.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“really? you’re gay?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">her almost angered tone of voice threw her off completely, hope’s eyes widened and brows furrowed. she was alone in shock that amy was talking to her and acknowledging her presence in itself. she wasn’t going to say no, but she didn’t want to say yes.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">all that came out was a confused stutter as she started to close her locker door to get a better look at the girl. there were tears welled up in amy’s eyes. hope’s mouth opened to say something again, but nothing came of it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“are you kidding me?” amy’s voice was strained, and now her face was scrunched and a lone tear was falling down her cheek. and molly was nowhere in sight. hope hated to see her like this. “i overheard from the skaters.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">the sadness was pouring from amy’s voice. hope didn’t understand her motivations, her intentions, her anger from it. it wasn’t making any sense. amy being mad at her for being gay?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“you heard the rumor from the popular kids. you can’t believe a word they say.” hope’s voice raised a bit, almost like she was upset amy would believe such a rumor so easily.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“tell me it’s wrong, then.” amy’s sniffles were making hope feel even worse. and all she could do was stare at her blankly. she couldn’t tell her otherwise, because the rumors weren’t lies.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">her silence meant everything.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“why the fuck would you ruin my life like that when you yourself are-“ amy tried to sort her words accordingly, but she stopped, and had this horribly haunting stare.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">fuck. she never forgot about the rumor situation. and hope couldn’t blame her. it was cruel, it probably did ruin her life.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">the smaller girl had stormed off now, and hope was on the verge of tears. she didn’t ever mean to hurt amy like that. in her earlier high school years, she fucked around with everyone. that was her thing. but she was just playing, she didn’t mean it like that.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“the worst thing that i ever did was what i did to you”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“amy!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she’d felt the courage to chase after the running girl, following her into a different hallway and inside the bathroom.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“amy..” it’s all hope could say.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she stood awkwardly behind her from a distance as amy settled herself at the sink, hunched over and seemingly crying more. she didn’t want to talk to hope. but that was okay, because hope could do the talking instead. she was capable of that, even if it was hard.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“amy, i-“ the lump in her throat caused a choke. “i, i never meant to hurt you. it was a stupid thing i did when i thought it was fun to make rumors of someone. it’s not fun, it’s not cool, it’s mean and it hurts people. i never wanted to do that to you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she looked behind her to make sure nobody was in the stalls, which they were all open-doors, and then she stepped closer to the sink where amy was now looking through the mirror at hope.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“the worst thing that i’ve ever did is what i did to you. i really regret it. and i’m sorry. i really am.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">amy turned around, her eyes still wet and face a little distressed, to face hope.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“they’re saying cruel things about you, you know. might want to get annabelle to call that off.” amy sniffled again, and the casualty in her voice as if everything was suddenly okay made hope feel smaller than she was before.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“wh- cruel..? what-“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“homophobic things. like, what they’d say about me.” amy stepped closer and gave a light smile up at hope, who’s mouth was rested open like a loser. “but i guess it’s just payback for what happened to me, huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">hope was confused by her tone of voice nonetheless, which her mannerisms seemed to be switching with every sentence she formed. the shorter girl passed her and walked out of the bathroom, leaving poor hope confused and upset.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she didn’t even care that things were being said about her behind her back. she needed to make things right with amy. right now, it was all she wanted.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“but if i just showed up at your party, would you have me? would you want me?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">at the senior graduation party at nick’s, hope didn’t want to go, but annabelle had forced her to. she knew she’d end up on the sidelines somewhere, smoking and drinking until she was too wasted to make any conscious decisions, but she went for her friend’s sake anyway.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she never asked her to stop the rumors and name calling. it dissipated out itself. and plus, annabelle said she was sorry on her friends’ behalf, and that she herself never said anything bad. she said she “loved gay people”, whatever that meant.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">hanging out with annabelle and her group of popular screaming boys playing beer pong and hitting on girls was getting a little old. she’d naturally found herself in the bathroom, smoking the couple day old joint that was in her jean pocket with the old blue lighter from her jacket. fuck parties, anyway.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she was only wondering if amy and molly were there just as the door flung open. she was pretty sure she locked that, but it didn’t matter, because amy was leaned over the sink with tears dripping. her hair was wet, her dress seemed kind of stuck to her body as if it was wet too - and she was barefoot. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“wh- are you okay?” hope scrambled to put the joint just off the edge of the bathtub to salvage it, then got off the lidded toilet to approach the girl at the sink.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">amy seemed startled that hope was in there with her. she wiped her cheeks off hastily and turned her head to the other girl. “no, um, i’m not. but it’s none of your business, i’m not explaining.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">hope looked and felt hurt, but she deserved that. why would amy tell her anything when she spread the “gay amy” rumors that probably ruined her whole high school experience from then on? she shouldn’t even be talking to her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“okay, um, i’m sorry, if there was anything i could do-“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">amy slammed her hands on the countertop, jolting her head up in a frustrated-like manner. she wanted to say there was nothing hope could do, but that was a lie. she had one thing in mind.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“actually,” amy stepped closer, one hand leaning on the sink and the other reaching out for hope’s arm. “you can do this-“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">her voice was breathy, and before hope could even understand what was happening, they were kissing. she never expected this to happen. she never hoped for it. she didn’t think amy would taste like that, like some dessert chapstick flavor, but she did, and all she could do was fall right into it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“would you tell me to go fuck myself, or lead me to the garden?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">now they were on the bathroom floor, and as uncomfortable as it was, hope wanted to let it all happen. “are, are you sure you’re okay? is this what you want?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">amy scoffed with a bit of a laugh as she hovered above hope, her voice pouring out confidence. “yes. can you provide that to me? is that okay?” she sounded almost mad that hope was talking, like she just wanted to use her up for the time being.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">it would hurt hope later on, but in the moment it felt right.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“just, um,” amy started, a softer voice landing hope’s ears. she shifted off the taller girl a bit. “just help direct me? i’ve never, uh,”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">now hope was giggling too, because a vulnerable amy was a cute sight nonetheless. and they were kissing again.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">only seventeen year olds with no knowledge - they knew nothing. they didn’t know anything about each other. they were just kids, graduating tomorrow together. hope barely knew amy, yet she felt she knew everything about her all at once.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">she could only say for certain that she was going to miss amy when she was gone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">“i’m only seventeen, i don’t know anything, but i know i miss you”</span>
  </em>
</p>
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